Carry on Wayward Son
by WhispertheWolf
Summary: Songfic: When lost and alone and wandering a wayward path, the best thing to do is carry on.


Author's Notes: Here's just a little something I thought up when I couldn't sleep and had the Kansas song "Carry on Wayward Son" stuck in my head. This is why you're not supposed to give me chocolate late at night when I'm feeling depressed . . .

Disclaimer: I own no part of Nerd Corp's _Storm Hawks_ or Kansas's song "Carry on Wayward Son".

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Storm Hawks—Carry on Wayward Son

By WhispertheWolf

A little red-haired boy sat down with his back leaning against a tree. He had his legs tucked underneath his chin, rocking gently as the tears spilled steadily from his eyes, but he didn't sob. Horrible images flashed through his mind: People in red uniforms appearing out of the skies in swarms, houses afire, people screaming, a young man with jet black hair and fierce red eyes barging into his door with his father's sword in hand.

But mostly he thought of his mother. The last time he'd seen her, she had been lying on the floor, and her shirt was wet. Her voice was unnaturally calm as she said, "Aerrow, listen to me. Take the Skimmer and fly away."

"Just like Daddy?" Aerrow had asked.

His mother had nodded. "Just like Daddy."

"When will I see you again, Mommy?"

"We don't have time to talk about it. Just do as I say. Promise me, Aerrow."

"I promise," Aerrow had said.

Scared as he was, he hadn't been able to cry then. The horror, fear, and sorrow had all built up inside him; he had stayed strong, afraid to show weakness. But now, tired and alone and sore, he let the tears fall. Gently the night wind blew through his hair, and he fell asleep. The sound of his mother's voice filled his dreams:

"_Carry on my wayward son,_

_For there'll be peace when you are done._

_Lay your weary head to rest._

_Now don't you cry no more."_

The ride in the Skimmer had been an experience, to say the least. Once he rose into the air, he could see the widespread destruction caused by the Cyclonians. The destruction was real, the suffering was real, but everything seemed much less harmful and not as big and scary in the sky.

_Once I rose above the noise and confusion,_

_Just to get a glimpse beyond the illusion._

Without looking back at his home, Aerrow had flown on and on into the night, not knowing where he was going.

_I was soaring ever higher, but I went too high._

He had crashed on the Terra, never having even seen it. Once there, he had crawled over to the tree, where he at last went to sleep.

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When Aerrow awoke in the morning, he had no idea what to do or where to go. He had to get out of here and do something, but he didn't know what to do. Without even thinking, Aerrow mounted the Skimmer, still operable despite the crash, and headed out into the world.

He traveled from Terra to Terra, earning money and food where he could. The world seemed a cruel joke to him; he had no home, no safety, and only one companion: hunger. Sometimes in desperation, he even stole, although it always made him feel really bad inside to do so.

_Though my eyes could see I still was a blind man._

_Though my mind could think I still was madman._

But in his sleep, Aerrow could escape from his miseries and think about his mother and father.

_I hear the voices when I'm dreaming._

_I can hear them say:_

"_Carry on my wayward son,_

_For there'll be peace when you are done._

_Lay your weary head to rest._

_Now don't you cry no more."_

As Aerrow went about, he kept going to people and looking for jobs. In small towns, he got to be too well known, and the threat of being put in an orphanage was always upon him. As much as an orphanage could help him, Aerrow was afraid of such things. So, in order to avoid that, wherever he went, he pretended that he had a family and was simply looking for a job, but he fooled no one.

_Masquerading as a man with a reason,_

_My charade is the event of the season,_

_And if I claim to be a wise man, it surely proves that I don't know._

At some point, Aerrow ran into Radarr. The little guy was alone and on his own, just as Aerrow was. Always having been a soft soul, Aerrow took him in at once, even though he could barely take him in himself.

_On a stormy sea of moving emotion,_

_Tossed about I'm like a ship on the ocean._

Taking in Radarr turned out to be the best decision Aerrow ever made; the little guy not only learned to fix the Skimmer, but he also showed Aerrow that someone out there can take the time to notice a little orphan boy and even learn to love him. He helped to calm the unsure emotions Aerrow had and helped him to be free and happy once more.

It was a couple years before Aerrow was sure of himself and his role, but he in time learned how to take care of himself and Radarr. He decided one day that the two of them would no longer be homeless. They set off in the Skimmer.

But as they traveled, Aerrow began to feel unsure once more. Yet even so, he continued on.

_I set a course for winds of fortune, but I hear the voices say:_

"_Carry on my wayward son,_

_For there'll be peace when you are done._

_Lay your weary head to rest._

_Now don't you cry no more."_

Aerrow and Radarr crashed on a small, uninhabited Terra covering only a few acres on top. The Skimmer was damaged beyond repair. Rather than worrying about it, Aerrow and Radarr began to build their lives on the Terra that Aerrow called "Terra Neverlandus". It wasn't exactly what Aerrow had in mind, but it worked well to suit their needs.

It wasn't long before the two of them were soon joined by two more wayward orphans: adventurous, knowledgeable Piper and goofy, egotistical Finn. It took awhile for them to warm up to each other, but once they did, the three were inseparable, although Piper and Finn did have their fallouts.

Then of course, there was the day the Guardians came and gave them their quest to find the _Condor_ and rebuild the Storm Hawks. . . . But you know that story.

Now, as Aerrow leans on the railing of the balcony on the _Condor_, he thinks about all he's been through, every tearful misery and every fun-filled moment. Sometimes he closes his eyes and tries to picture his parents; his memories of them had faded. He'd forgotten his father completely, and he had no recollection of what his mother looked like. But he could always remember her voice that had started him on this fantastic journey. Although sometimes horrifying and miserable, the ending was glorious.

_Carry on, you will always remember._

_Carry on, nothing equals the splendor._

Smiling, Aerrow walked back into the bridge, where Radarr and Piper bounded up to him. Radarr popped up on his shoulder and chirped a greeting. "There you are!" Piper said. "We were looking for you." She put her arm around his shoulder and steered him toward the others.

Aerrow couldn't help grinning as he thought, _I've been looking for you guys all my life._ At last, after many years of being mostly alone, he had a family once more.

_Now your life's no longer empty._

_Surely heaven waits for you._

That night, the _Condor_ seemed to hum a lullaby that Aerrow remembered ever so vaguely:

"_Carry on my wayward son,_

_For they'll be peace when you are done._

_Lay your weary head to rest._

_Now don't you cry._

_Don't you cry._

_Don't you cry no more."_

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Author's Notes: Reviews are welcome! Please? It can even be a one word review, for example, "Good." Or it can be a bad review, for example, "I hate it." I just want some feedback.


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